Diabetics are at greater risk of developing kidney and heart disease as a result of the condition — but now experts believe they could be a step closer to finding a treatment for the complications.

However, experts have warned an ‘anti-aging’ hormone could help prevent kidney and heart disease in people with diabetes, express.co.uk wrote.

Scientists believe patients who don’t have the hormone in their blood are more likely to have early signs of diabetic kidney disease.

The hormone, called Klotho has previously been shown to protect arteries from certain changes associated with aging — such as the thickening of blood vessel walls, a condition which can cause heart disease.

The researchers tested blood and urine samples from 78 patients who had type 1 diabetes, including 33 who were starting to show signs of diabetic kidney disease.

Experts found patients with the condition had lower levels of circulating Klotho.

Those, free from the kidney disease, had the same levels found in healthy adults.

Dr. Giuseppe Maltese, from King's College London, and lead researcher, said, "For the first time, Klotho has been linked to kidney disease in type 1 diabetes patients and this finding represents an exciting step towards developing new markers for disease and potentially new treatments."

The team plans to expand the work to identify type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients at high risk of both kidney and heart disease.

Dr. Richard Siow, coordinator of aging research at King's College, was coauthor of the study.

He said: "Our research will help scientists to better understand the mechanisms by which this hormone benefits healthy aging, as well as how deficits in Klotho lead to age-related diseases."

Diabetes occurs where there is too much glucose in the blood because the body cannot use it properly.

There are two forms of the condition — type 1 diabetes occurs when the body cannot produce insulin.

Around one in 10 people with diabetes have type 1 and it usually affects children or young adults.

Type 1 diabetes means the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin.

When insulin is not produced a person’s glucose levels increase, which can result in the body's organs being damaged.

People living with type 1 diabetes are reliant on insulin injections and they need to keep a close eye on their blood glucose levels to ensure they stay balanced.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or the insulin produced does not work properly and can be linked to lifestyle factors such as being overweight.